By ANJALI NAURIYAL
As a practicing Chartered Accountant, the life of Hemant K Arora has accrued great reputation and honour. His career has proven to be especially influential in his field of endeavour. But, it is a dash of spirituality that has added more fire to the myriad activities that he has undertaken to do.
Opportunity to serve:
Despite a demanding and tiring day-to-day schedule as a Chartered Accountant, Hemant K Arora never misses any opportunity to serve society. “Any opportunity that comes my way, I regard as God sent,” he declares. “All get many opportunities, but few realise the potential of these occasions to earn good karma,” he elaborates. It is this sense of goodness that pervades his approach to work, in particular, and life in general. “As a professional, it is my bounden duty to ensure that I do the right thing for the greatest good of the greatest number,” he adds. “My mother has been a strong influence in my life. From her example, I have imbibed powerful lessons. She was such a noble soul; she was chanting Gurubani and Slokas even in a state of coma, just days before she breathed her last. Many good things in my life have happened on dates associated with her. For example, this very interview has happened on her death anniversary and uncannily even the timing is the same. This, I believe, is her way of revealing her presence in our lives even after her death a year ago. I want to continue doing good things in her memory.”
Early influence and role model:
His father has been a strong influence in his life. “My earliest role model was my father, Shri Amriklal Arora,” he shares. “An alumnus of DAV, Dehradun, he was a much respected Taxation Advocate. Under his influence, I too did my CA articleship at PN Bahri and Co. But before that, I completed my B Com and Law Degrees from DAV. He would often say that one must not harm anyone, even in a state of anger. This is the mantra I have tried to follow in life. My career is such that many people come to me to complain against others with a sense of vendetta. But I pay no heed to such vicious information. I believe that I am here to help people and not to harm them or spread animosity. And I have never ever wavered from this purpose.”
A prolific career:
Throughout his career, Arora has worked with a sense of enthusiasm and conviction. He began as a Law Graduate and FCA – Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India – and went on to create a domain offering specialised skills. He founded and partnered M/s Hemant Arora & Co LLP, Chartered Accountants. The firm is headquartered in Roorkee with branches in Dehradun, Gurgaon and Mumbai, and today boasts of 35 years of experience in various fields of Taxation, Statutory, Internal and Tax Audits of Bank Branches and Large PSUs.
Hemant is also on the Board of Directors of Acuris Advisors Pvt Ltd as well, and has handled various consultancy assignments of many other large multinational companies. Currently, he is also Independent Director on the board of Borosil Glass Works Ltd, and has served on the Board of Directors of Saboo Coating Ltd.
Having spent his formative years in Roorkee, he is devoted to that township, and is committed to contributing to its well-being. He is proud to be Visiting Faculty at IIT, Roorkee, and former District Governor of Rotary International District 3080 comprising parts of five states – UP, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and Union Territory of Chandigarh.
ONGC, one of the biggest organisations in the country, is amongst his esteemed clients. “ONGC is one of our prestigious clients since 1991,” Arora proudly announces. “We have been doing their tax audit and return for more than two decades now. We have also handled for about similar period, the tax matters of Hyundai Heavy Industries Ltd.”
His philanthropy has long-term value:
Arora has for years pursued a vision that is rooted in a sense of duty towards society at large. He is also serving many philanthropic causes. He is Honorary Trustee of Soni Foundation Trust, BEG and Centre, Roorkee, a Trust formed under the Ministry of Defence, GOI. He is Trustee of AKANSHA Charitable Trust, BHEL, Haridwar, and Former Member of the District Legal Services Authority, Haridwar.
Hemant Arora has also served as Chairman of Confederation of Indian Industry, Uttaranchal State Council during 2005-06, and has served on the Economic Affairs Committee of CII, Northern Region.
He is on the management committee of KL DAV Inter College. Further, he is member, Board of Trustees, and member, Governing Body, & Treasurer of Him Jyoti School, a Society started by former Governor of Uttarakhand & Sikkim, Sudarshan Agarwal.
For his philanthropic work he has been honoured with the prestigious Uttarakhand Ratna Award.
Gearing up Gen X:
They say an apple does not fall far from the tree. Arora has ensured that his son, Pavitra, emerges as a worthy third generation professional of an illustrious family of Advocates and Chartered Accountants. “Yes, Pavitra has gained invaluable exposure in the field of Direct Taxation while working under his illustrious grandfather and now that he is working with me. He has particularly excelled in the practice of Income Tax, Corporate Tax and Personal Tax. Apart from that, Pavitra is also practicing in Indirect Taxes, including Central Excise and Service Tax Laws. I hope he carries forward the legacy of his family with merit.”
Pavitra currently is the Head, Legal, of Hemant Arora & Co LLP Chartered Accountants and is currently looking after the Uttarakhand entry services team. He has successfully assisted a large number of corporations in setting up operations in the State of Uttarakhand. “I have made sure that I make good use of the rich experience that I have gained through my association with my father,” he states. He is already well known for his in-depth knowledge of the industrial policy, the procedures and regulatory compliances required for setting up industry in the State of Uttarakhand and other allied laws. “I joined the firm in 2008 as a trainee while pursuing my law course and underwent the rigours of apprenticeship,” he quips.
He is the Immediate Past Chairman of Young Indians (Yi-CII) Confederation of Indian Industries, Uttarakhand Chapter, and is an alumnus of Welham Boys’ School, where he is General Secretary of the Welham Old Boys’ Society.
He has also taken Short Courses in Commercial Law at London School of Economics and Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, to further hone his skills. He is also on the Board as an Adviser of Anushruti, which is a social initiative of the Indian Institute of Technology, located on the IIT-Roorkee campus. The school delivers quality education to differently-abled children with speech and hearing impairments in and around Roorkee, Uttarakhand.
Pavitra has also been awarded the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award also known as the I.A.Y.P, International Award for Young People, Bronze & Silver Standard for community service 2000 and 2001.
He is also a Paul Harris Fellow of the Rotary International.
Arora’s wife Sunita, daughter Garima and daughter-in-law Aarshi are women in their own right and pillars of strength of the entire family.
